Video on Demand (VOD) – The Continuous On-demand viewing

Video on Demand is the most desired service for various media and telecom providers. The subscribers get an opportunity to choose a video from a large online library. Huge amount of centralized resources and bandwidth is required by systems who offer these services to accommodate their subscribers. The VOD service has always been a subject of interest for both research and commercial sectors across the globe. There are many challenges related to VOD services, which arise because of huge storage size, high bandwidth, and connectivity persistence required for deployment purpose.

Pay-Tv providers are gradually strengthening their foothold in homes with latest set-top boxes that deliver video on demand of not only movies but also recent TV episodes. It is considered to be a very strong market because the libraries of movies and various TV programs can be easily stored in cloud and then accessed through set-top boxes. With the disruption in DVD market distributors, consumers have embraced the concept of online services. In the emerging markets operators are focusing on launching their own OTT services. IPTV is considered to be as premium service, which helps the subscribers to purchase expensive bundles. In other words, in the areas where markets are price sensitive, there is a strong demand for online videos, and OTT becomes a better option. The decision between managed (IPTV) and unmanaged video delivery (OTT) totally depends on a regions infrastructure, competitive environment and operators’ position.

Rental consumers choose kiosks and multichannel distributors over traditional rental options. Subscribers of SVoD have unrestricted access to few programs and operate on a completely distinct business plan when compared with transactional VoD (TVoD). Though there is a quick boost in SVoD subscriber volumes, still many of these services are dependent on physical distribution to stay profitable. These emerging technologies have proved to be very efficient and popular with the audience, bringing more profit and demanding fewer resources.

Interactivity in video distribution is increasing rapidly. ATM technology, efficient compression techniques, and other developments of telecommunications make it possible to offer such services as home shopping, games, distance learning and movies-on-demand amongst others. This technology is likely to enhance the availability of multimedia information to teachers and adds substantial value to the educational process. North America is expected to be the biggest market in terms of revenue contribution, while Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin America (LA) are expected to experience increased market traction, during the forecast period.MarketsandMarkets forecasts the VOD market to grow from $21.08 billion in 2013 to $45.25 billion in 2018 at a CAGR of 16.5% during 2013 to 2018.